If you want to work as a fashion designer, then you've chosen an exciting career. Fashion designers get to share their vision with the world, and their works become an intimate part of people's daily lives. What could be more intimate than the clothes we wear on our bodies, after all? Your creations could become part of people's weddings, proms and trips to the beach. Maybe a pair of jeans you design will be responsible for a woman first attracting the attention of the man she'll eventually marry.

But before you can become a fashion designer, there are a few important things you should know. The first is that in order to become a fashion designer, the study of fashion has to become a serious part of your life. You should be studying it all the time. Read books on fashion; follow the latest fashion news online. Also, go to as many fashion shows as you can. And when you go to a fashion show, don't just attend as a passive observer; walk around, introduce yourself to as many people as possible, explain that your aspiration is to become a fashion designer. If you're bold, you might even ask if you can go backstage and talk to some of the designers and models. And if you're really bold, you might even wear some clothes that you've designed and tell everyone that you made your own clothes.

To become a fashion designer, you need to live and breathe fashion. When you go to the mall, study the clothes that department stores put on display. When you're at the park, sit on a bench and observe the clothes passers-by are wearing. You also need to set aside a substantial amount of time each day to practice designing. Draw all the ideas you have, no matter how wild they might seem. Refine your pencil line and your color sense. You should also practice sewing. You won't get very far in the fashion world if you aren't an expert sewer. Try making your own patterns to sew with, too; this is an important step in improving your overall technique.

You'll want to take art courses in high school, and apply to a college fashion design program. You can become a fashion designer with an associate's degree, but a bachelor's degree will give you a leg-up on the competition.

You must begin compiling a portfolio as early as you can. A portfolio is an organized collection of the illustrations and photos that best represent your work. A good portfolio will get you jobs, so make sure you put plenty of time and effort into it over the years.

Another tip is to see if you can get local stores to sell some of the clothes you design. This can be hard, but if you know someone who owns a clothing shop this person might be willing to do you a favor.